Collapsible debris container and method of use

ABSTRACT

A container according to the present invention provides a collapsible debris container including a receptacle having a plurality of framed side panels, a bottom panel, and an open side. A chute may be coupled to the receptacle, or a portion of the container may be decoupled from the remainder, to form a chute. The container may include a handle to ease transportation of debris along the ground.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to containers, and morespecifically to collapsible debris containers that may be used toreceive, contain, and/or transport lawn debris.

Collapsible containers have been desirable, and indeed employed, fordecades. Generally, debris containers involve two methods ofcollapsibility, however, each of which has its respective drawbacks.

First, many prior collapsible debris containers comprise only aplurality of rigid support members. While offering the benefits ofdebris containment, transportation and container collapsibility, thereare at least two potential disadvantages to such devices. Anotherdisadvantage of using plant stands incorporating rigid structuralmembers is the required assembly and disassembly during setup andstorage, respectively. For a given container structure, as the desiredstorage size decreases, the required number of pieces into which it mustbe broken down increases, as does the time required for assembly anddisassembly.

Second, some prior collapsible plant stands utilize a combination ofrigid support members and flexible members such flexible panels ofmaterial. Again, similar to containers employing only rigid supportmembers, these prior devices offer suitable debris containment,transportation and container collapsibility; however, sacrifice is oftenmade during storage. The flexible members of prior devices tend torequire decoupling from the rigid members, often causing frustrationduring preparation for the next season's use.

Therefore, the art of lawn maintenance would benefit from an improvedcollapsible container that addresses at least the assembly and storageconcerns surrounding prior devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A debris container according to the present invention provides acollapsible container including a receptacle having an open end and aclosed end. At least two receptacle side panels extend between the openend and the closed end. Each receptacle side panel is coupled, directlyor indirectly, to another receptacle side panel. Each receptacle sidepanel includes a flexible side panel material coupled to a side framemember having a folded and an unfolded configuration. The flexible sidepanel material assumes the configuration of its associated side framemember. A container according to the present invention also includes achute coupled to the receptacle, where the chute is adapted to assist inthe transfer of objects outside of the receptacle into the receptacle.In another embodiment, a container according to the present inventionincludes at least three receptacle side panels, each of which iscoupled, directly or indirectly, to at least two other receptacle sidepanels.

In one embodiment, a collapsible container according to the presentinvention includes a first of receptacle side panel directly coupled toa second receptacle side panel, such as by being sewn thereto. Inanother embodiment, the first side panel that has been directly coupledto the second side panel is also directly coupled to a third side panel.

One or more receptacle side panels could also be indirectly coupled toone or more other side panels, such as by way of a panel separator. Inone such embodiment, a first receptacle side panel is indirectly coupledto a second receptacle side panel. In another embodiment, a firstreceptacle side panel is indirectly coupled to a second receptacle sidepanel and a third receptacle side panel. In yet another embodiment, eachreceptacle side panel is indirectly coupled to two other receptacle sidepanels.

A collapsible container according to the present invention may furtherinclude a handle, which may be directly coupled to the receptacle or thechute. Further, chute of a container according to the present inventionmay include a chute back panel coupled to one of the receptacle sidepanels and two chute side panels, each chute side panel being coupled tothe chute back panel and a receptacle side panel.

The closed end of a container according to the present invention mayinclude a receptacle bottom panel having a flexible bottom materialcoupled to a bottom frame member having a folded and an unfoldedconfiguration. The flexible bottom material assumes the configuration ofthe bottom frame member. If such a bottom panel is employed, anothervariation would include each receptacle side panel being indirectlycoupled to two other receptacle side panels and directly coupled to thereceptacle bottom panel.

The chute portion of a collapsible container according to the presentinvention may be formed at least partially by one of the side panels.Additionally, at least a portion of a first side panel may be at leastpartially detachably coupled to a second side panel, such as by way of atoggle clasp. The first side panel may also be at least partiallydetachably coupled to the second side panel and a third side panel. Infact, each side panel may be at least partially detachably coupled to atleast one other side panel. Additionally, or alternatively, a first sidepanel may be at least partially detachably coupled to a second sidepanel and a third side panel where the first side panel is indirectlycoupled to the second side panel by way of a first chute side panel, andthe first side panel is indirectly coupled to the third side panel byway of a second chute side panel.

A method according to the present invention includes providing acollapsible container comprising a receptacle having an open end and aclosed end surrounded by at least three receptacle side panels, eachreceptacle side panel comprising a flexible material coupled to a framemember having a folded and an unfolded configuration, the flexiblematerial assuming the configuration of its associated frame member. Theprovided container is placed upon the ground and lawn debris istransferred into the receptacle. The step of transferring lawn debrisinto said receptacle may include moving said lawn debris through theopen end of the receptacle.

The provided container may further comprise a chute portion cooperatingwith the receptacle and the step of transferring lawn debris into thereceptacle may further comprise moving the lawn debris across the chute.If the chute is coupled to the open end of the container, the step oftransferring lawn debris into the receptacle may include moving the lawndebris across the chute and through the open end of the receptacle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a collapsibledebris container according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 in use.

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 in a firstcollapsed configuration.

FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 in a secondcollapsed configuration.

FIG. 3C is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 in a thirdcollapsed configuration.

FIG. 3D is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 in a coiledconfiguration.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the presentinvention in an unfolded configuration.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 4 in a firstassembled configuration.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 4 in a secondassembled configuration.

FIG. 7 is a close-up view of an embodiment of an assembly mechanism usedin connection with the embodiment of FIG. 4.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 4 in use.

FIG. 9A is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 4 in a firstfolded configuration.

FIG. 9B is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 4 in a secondfolded configuration.

FIG. 9C is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 4 in a thirdfolded configuration.

FIG. 9D is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 4 in a fourthfolded configuration.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Although the disclosure hereof is detailed and exact to enable thoseskilled in the art to practice the invention, the physical embodimentsherein disclosed merely exemplify the invention which may be embodied inother specific structures. While the preferred embodiment has beendescribed, the details may be changed without departing from theinvention, which is defined by the claims.

Turning now to the figures, FIG. 1 provides an embodiment 100 of acontainer according to the present invention. The container 100generally comprises a receptacle 110 and a chute 130. The receptacle 110includes a closed end 114, an open end 116, and plurality of framedreceptacle side panels 120. The closed end 114 is preferably provided bya back panel 118. The chute 130 may be provided to cooperate with, or asa part of, the receptacle 110. The receptacle side panels 120 and backpanel 118 are coupled or able to be coupled to form a generallyparallelepiped container having an open side 116. The framed receptacleside panels 120 may be those that are generally known in the art, whichare disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,188, which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The receptacle 110 of the first embodiment 100 is preferably formedaccording to the general construction of a collapsible containerincluded in the incorporated patent. While the web on the incorporatedside panels may be a flexible foldable material, such as nylon cloth,any suitably flexible material, including string reinforced polyethylenesheet material, may be utilized. The nylon, or other flexible material,may be solid or perforated. In addition, as previously mentioned, thedebris container 100 preferably includes a chute 130 coupled to thereceptacle portion 110. The chute 130 generally includes a chute backpanel 131 and may further include chute side panels 132, each side panel132 extending between the back panel 131 and a framed receptacle sidepanel 120 of the receptacle 110. If desired, the chute back panel 131may have a construction at least similar, if not identical, to that ofthe framed receptacle side panels 120.

A collapsible container according to the present invention alsopreferably includes a handle 112. The handle 112 is preferably aflexible strap 113 that may be formed from a stretch-resistant materialhaving a mesh web, which may be coupled directly, such as beingstitched, to a portion of the receptacle 110 or to a portion of thechute 130, as shown. Although stitching is a preferred means fordirectly coupling the elements of the container 100 and permittingrelatively convenient folding of the container 100, it is to beunderstood that other methods of attachment can be used in thisinvention. Such methods may include heat sealing, gluing and the like.Accordingly, construction of the collapsible container 100 should not belimited to stitching alone.

As shown in FIG. 2, to use a container 100 according to the presentinvention, a user 301 may place the container 100 on the ground 300. Theuser 301 may transfer debris 303 from external the receptacle 110 intothe container 100 by using a rake 302, for example, to direct debrisacross the chute 130 and into the receptacle 110. When it is desirableto transport the container 100 to another location, the user 301 simplygrasps the handle 112 and pulls the container 100 along the ground 300.

From the expanded state, the container 100 may be folded into acollapsed state for storage and transportation. FIGS. 3A to 3D showvarious steps for collapsing the container 100. In FIG. 3A, the chute130 has been folded into the receptacle 110. The next step requiresgrasping opposite corners of the container 100 and biasing one towardthe other to collapse the container 100 further into a V-configuration,as shown in FIG. 3B. FIG. 3C shows the container 100 in a thirdcollapsed configuration, which includes the plurality of receptacle sidepanels 120 stacked atop one another. In the preferred embodiment, theresulting partially collapsed container 100 is a stack of fourreceptacle side panels 120 and a chute back panel 131. Then, twoopposite corners of the partially collapsed container 100 may be rotatedin opposite directions while forcing the corners toward each other. Thecontainer 100 will first twist and then will rotate to form threeoverlying circular loops situated adjacently as shown in FIG. 3D. Thecollapsed container 100 may be further secured with an elastic strap170, which may be coupled to the receptacle 110. When the elastic strap170 is removed from the collapsed container 100, the frame members ofthe receptacle side panels 120 will bias the container 100 into anexpanded state.

FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment 200 of a collapsible containeraccording to the present invention, in an unfolded configuration. Likethe first embodiment 100, this embodiment 200 generally comprises areceptacle 210 and may further include a handle 212. The receptacle 210includes a closed bottom 214, an open top 216, and plurality of framedreceptacle side panels 220. The closed bottom 214 is preferably providedby a back panel 218. If desired, the receptacle back panel 218 may havea construction at least similar, if not identical, to that of the framedreceptacle side panels 220. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, thisembodiment 200 includes at least one receptacle side panel 220 a that ispartially detachable from adjacent receptacle side panels 220 b, 220 d,so as to form a chute 230. The receptacle side panels 220 and back panel218 are coupled or able to be coupled to form a substantiallyparallelepiped container having an open top 216, such as that shown inFIG. 6. Also like the first embodiment 100, the framed panels 220 may bethose that are generally known in the art, which are disclosed, forexample, in the incorporated patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,188.

This embodiment 200, while maintaining many of the features of the firstembodiment 100, further includes at least one partially detachablereceptacle side panel 220 a. Thus, rather than having a separate chuteportion being coupled to the receptacle, the partially detachablereceptacle side panel 220 may operate as a chute 230. The partiallydetached receptacle side panel 220 may then serve as a chute back panel231. The embodiment 200 may further include chute side panels 232, whichindirectly couple the partially detachable receptacle side panel 220 toother receptacle side panels, each chute side panel 232 extendingbetween the back panel 231 and a framed receptacle side panel 220 of thereceptacle 210.

With reference also to FIG. 7, the partial detachment of a receptacleside panel 220 a may be permitted by the use of a releasable couplingmeans 240, such as a conventional toggle clasp including a loop 242, atoggle 244, and a toggle strap 246. As depicted, the toggle strap 246couples the toggle 244 to an upper corner of a receptacle side panel 220d. When inserted into the loop 242 that is coupled to an adjacentreceptacle side panel 220 a, the toggle 244 maintains the panels 220 a,220 d in a coupled configuration.

While only a single side 220 a of the embodiment 200 may be partiallydetachable, it is preferable to allow partial detachment of the top sideof all panels 220 to enable the container 200 to lie in a planarconfiguration, as shown in FIG. 4. An advantage to this arrangement isthat it allows a user to place a container 200 in such configurationupon the ground and to transfer debris onto the bottom panel 218 from360 degrees, thereby eliminating the need to move the container 200during the debris collection process. When a sufficient amount of debrishas been collected, the receptacle side panels 220 may be folded up andtowards each other and coupled together. As shown in FIG. 8, a user 301has placed a container 200 upon the ground 300, transferred debris 303into the container 200, and clasped the receptacle side panels 220 a-220d together. When it is desirable to transport the container 200 toanother location, the user 301 simply grasps the handle 212 and pullsthe container 200 along the ground 300.

FIGS. 9A through 9D show a method of collapsing a container 200according to the present invention. While a user may employ a methodsimilar to the method discussed with reference to FIGS. 3A-3D, themethod in FIGS. 9A-9D is useful where the receptacle bottom panel 218contains a frame similar to those used in the receptacle side panels220. A preferred embodiment 200 includes four receptacle side panels220, each receptacle side panel 220 being indirectly coupled, such as byway of a chute side panel 232 on each side, to two other receptacle sidepanels 220. In a method of collapsing a container 200 according to thepresent invention, the receptacle side panels 220 are first partiallydetached from each other, and the container 200 is laid in a planarconfiguration, as can be seen in FIG. 4. Returning to FIG. 9A, a firstreceptacle side panel 220 a may be folded onto the receptacle bottompanel 218. A second receptacle side panel 220 c may then be folded atopthe first receptacle side panel 220 a, as can be seen in FIG. 9B. FIG.9C shows a third receptacle side panel 220 b, along with a pair of chuteside panels 232, being folded atop the second receptacle side panel 220c. The fourth receptacle side panel 220 d is then folded atop the thirdreceptacle side panel 220 b, along with a second pair of chute sidepanels 232. The resulting stack of panels includes a bottom panel 218,four receptacle side panels 220 and four chute side panels 232. If chuteside panels 232 are not employed, the resulting stack would simplyinclude the bottom panel 218 and four receptacle side panels 220. Thecontainer 200 may be stored in this configuration, or the container 200may be coiled and secured in a similar fashion to the first embodiment100, as shown and described with reference to FIG. 3D.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Furthermore, since numerous modifications and changeswill readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired tolimit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed. While the preferred embodiment has been described, thedetails may be changed without departing from the invention, which isdefined by the claims.

1. A collapsible container comprising: a receptacle having an open endand a closed end, a plurality of receptacle side panels extendingtherebetween, each receptacle side panel coupled to another receptacleside panel, wherein each receptacle side panel comprises a flexiblereceptacle side panel material coupled to a receptacle side frame memberhaving a folded and an unfolded configuration, said flexible receptacleside panel material assuming the configuration of its associatedreceptacle side frame member; and a chute portion in cooperation withsaid receptacle, said chute adapted to assist in the transfer of objectsexternal to said receptacle into said receptacle.
 2. A collapsiblecontainer according to claim 1, said plurality of receptacle side panelscomprising at least three receptacle side panels, each receptacle sidepanel being coupled to at least two other receptacle side panels.
 3. Acollapsible container according to claim 1, a first of said receptacleside panels being directly coupled to a second of said receptacle sidepanels.
 4. A collapsible container according to claim 3, said firstreceptacle side panel being directly coupled to a third of saidreceptacle side panels.
 5. A collapsible container according to claim 1,further comprising a handle.
 6. A collapsible container according toclaim 1, said chute including a chute back panel coupled to a receptacleside panel and two chute side panels, each chute side panel coupled tosaid chute back panel and a receptacle side panel.
 7. A collapsiblecontainer according to claim 1, said closed end comprising a receptaclebottom panel comprising: a flexible bottom material coupled to a bottomframe member having a folded and an unfolded configuration, saidflexible bottom material assuming the configuration of said bottom framemember.
 8. A collapsible container according to claim 7, each receptacleside panel being indirectly coupled to two other receptacle side panels;and directly coupled to said receptacle bottom panel.
 9. A collapsiblecontainer according to claim 1, a first receptacle side panel beingindirectly coupled to a second receptacle side panel.
 10. A collapsiblecontainer according to claim 9, said first receptacle side panel beingindirectly coupled to a third receptacle side panel.
 11. A collapsiblecontainer according to claim 10, each receptacle side panel beingindirectly coupled to two other receptacle side panels.
 12. Acollapsible container according to claim 1, the chute portion beingformed at least partially by one of said receptacle side panels.
 13. Acollapsible container according to claim 12, at least a portion of afirst receptacle side panel being at least partially detachably coupledto a second receptacle side panel.
 14. A collapsible container accordingto claim 13, said first receptacle side panel being at least partiallydetachably coupled to said second receptacle side panel by a toggleclasp.
 15. A collapsible container according to claim 13, the firstreceptacle side panel being at least partially detachably coupled to thesecond receptacle side panel and a third receptacle side panel.
 16. Acollapsible container according to claim 12, each of said receptacleside panels being at least partially detachably coupled to at least oneother receptacle side panel.
 17. A collapsible container according toclaim 16, a first receptacle side panel being at least partiallydetachably coupled to a second receptacle side panel and a thirdreceptacle side panel; said first receptacle side panel being indirectlycoupled to said second receptacle side panel by way of a first chuteside panel; and said first receptacle side panel being indirectlycoupled to said third receptacle side panel by way of a second chuteside panel.
 18. A method comprising the steps of: providing acollapsible container comprising: a receptacle having an open end and aclosed end surrounded by at least three receptacle side panels, eachreceptacle side panel comprising: a flexible material coupled to a framemember having a folded and an unfolded configuration, the flexiblematerial assuming the configuration of its associated frame member;placing said collapsible container upon the ground; and transferringlawn debris into said receptacle.
 19. A method according to claim 18wherein said step of transferring lawn debris into said receptaclecomprises moving said lawn debris through said open end of saidreceptacle.
 20. A method according to claim 19 wherein said containerfurther comprises a chute portion cooperating with said receptacle andsaid step of transferring lawn debris into said receptacle furthercomprises moving said lawn debris across said chute.
 21. A methodaccording to claim 18 wherein said container further comprises a chuteportion cooperating with said receptacle and said step of transferringlawn debris into said receptacle further comprises moving said lawndebris across said chute.